The Rivers State Police have arraigned two suspects in court for alleged child stealing.
The two suspects, Enyinnaya Ebere, male, 39 and Obumuneke Ebere, female, 36, were brought before a Port-Harcourt Magistrate Court on 24th of April for trial for the alleged child stealing.
The two suspects who lived in Aba, Abia State before they were arrested are of the same parents.
They face a two-count charge of allegedly stealing a three-day-old baby in Aba, Abia State and taking away the baby from its custody and against the will of his parents.
It was gathered that the two suspects were on their way to Port-Harcourt with the baby when police at C for i Checkpoint stopped their car for a search, unknown to the police that a baby boy was inside a Ghana-Must-Go Bag in the boot of the car.
When the police asked the two suspects what was inside the bag, they reportedly said that it was a baby and as the bag was opened, the police discovered that the baby in the Ghana-Must-Go bag was alive.
The two suspects reportedly told the police that they got the baby from one Chioma in Aba, Abia State to be delivered to someone in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
It was gathered that Enyinnaya Ebere was the one driving the car while his sister, Obumuneke Ebere, was in the passenger seat when the police stopped their car for the search.
It was further gathered that the woman tried to run away when the police stopped the car, but that she was reportedly prevented from escaping by some persons at the checkpoint.
When count one of the charge was read to them in court on Wednesday, the two accused persons pleaded not guilty but no plea was taken for the second count, according to a source, because it was a special court that should handle count two of the charge.
Count one of the charge which was read to the two accused persons said: “That you Enyinnaya Ebere, ‘m’, Obumuneke Ebere, ‘f’ and others now at large on the 17th day of April, 2019 along Aba-Port-Harcourt Expressway by Oyigbo in Oyigbo Magisterial District but triable in the Port-Harcourt Magisterial District did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: Child stealing and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516A of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. II, Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria, 1999”.
The case which is between Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and the two accused persons has charge number PMC/821c/2019 and the prosecutor in the case is Police Inspector Ochogwu Riverside Wilberforce.
The presiding magistrate of the Port-Harcourt Magistrate Court, Senior Magistrate Lenu Baridam, who ordered that the accused persons be remanded in custody, adjourned the case to 6th of May, 2019 for consideration of bail for the two accused persons.
